Pull-on device for boots and shoes.



E. C. JACOBS.

PULL-0N DEVICE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES. APPLIOATI'ON FILED MAR. 28, 1914.

1,100,693. Patented June 16, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST C. JACOBS, 0F ROCKLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Original application filed December 31, 1913, Serial No. 809,609. Divided and this application filed March 28, 1914. Serial No. 828,045.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST C. James, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rockland, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Pull- On Devices for Boots and Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to boots and shoes and more particularly to a device for pulling the same onto the feet.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 809,609, filed December 81, 1913.

Boots and shoes have commonly been provided with a shoe strap of a length sufficient to form a substantially large loop through which the thumb or finger of the user may be passed to obtain a firm pull upon the boot or shoe. Such straps project a very considerable distance above the upper edge of the boot and shoe when new, and after being worn are frequently bent down outside the boot or shoe, and in both instances are unsightly and objectionable.

The present invention has for an object thereof to provide boots or shoes with a grasp inclosing pull-on device positioned wit-h its upper edge adjacent to the top of the shoe upper and connected thereto as hereinafter described and claimed, and preferably positioned in the rear of the boot or shoe in such manner that the device may be grasped between the thumb and fingers of the hand and preferably by application thereof to the outer face of the pull-on device.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a boot or shoe having my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the shoe shown in Fig 1; and, Fig. 3 is a vertical section upon an enlarged scale on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the shoe upper is represented at 1 and the lining thereof at 2 in Fig. 3. The lining and upper are secured together in any suitable manner as, for example, by stitching along their upper edges. The pull-on device is herein represented as composed of a filler 3 of a form adapting it to be grasped between the thumb and fingers of the hand, the device being tapered or having an enlarged portion which will not readily slip from between the thumb and finger. In practice I have found the triangular form shown, to be efficient. The filler may consist of a piece of sole leather although any suitable material may be employed for the purpose.

A strip t of leather or other suitable material, preferably of the full width of the filler and preferably of a single piece, longitudinally surrounds the said filler and preferably so that the two ends 56 thereof are positioned at the apex of the filler fiatwise against the shoe upper and are secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by means of a line of stitching 7. Preferably, also, I additionally secure the pull-on device to the shoe upper by means of one or more lines of stitching 8 extending through the strip 4: and also through the lower end of the filler 3, so as more securely to attach the same to the shoe.

It will be observed that the pull-011 device is not attached to the shoe upper at its upper end, but normally and in use is held fiatwise thereagainst by the lines of stitching 7 or by the lines of stitching 7 and 8. The said pull-on device is flexibly connected to the shoe upper and hence cannot stiffen the same or cause it to press unduly against the ankle, the line or lines of stitching being low enough to secure this result. Inasmuch as the upper end of the pull-on device is preferably below the top of the shoe upper and preferably does not extend thereabove, I secure all the advantages due to such location as well as the advantages flowing from the flexible connection of the pullon device to the shoe.

If desired, the strip lmay be adhesively or otherwise secured to the filler 3, throughout its entire extent or any desired portion thereof. The location of the pull-on device is such that a finger may readily be applied to the outer face of the device at the same time that the thumb is applied to the inner face of the shoe upper.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. A boot or shoe having a pull-0n device consisting of an inverted, substantially triangular filler, arranged with its base terminating adjacent to the top edge of the shoe upper and a securing strip extending longitudinally about the filler and flexibly connected to and in contact with the outer surface only of the shoe upper substantially adjacent to the apex of the filler.

2. A boot or shoe having a pull-on device consisting of an inverted, substantially triangular filler, arranged with its base terminating adjacent to but slightly below the top edge of the. shoe upper and a securing strip extending longitudinally about the filler and flexibly connected to and in contact with the outer surface only of the shoe upper substantially adjacent to the apex of the filler. I11 testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST C. JACOBS. WVitnesses JOHN G. SUTIIERLAND, GERTRUDE B. YOUNG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents, Washington, D. 0." 

